Xander Trax: Cop on the Hellmouth
by tohonomike
Summary: Xander's low budget results in a different costume, and Willow's along for the ride. Parts 10 and 11 now up!
1. Chapter 1

_Xander Trax: Cop on the Hellmouth_   
_Author: Tohonomike __Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners...it will start off with the Joss/ME characters, and the Lorimar characters aren't mine either and any other characters or real-life folks are clearly not mine. NO money is involved. None are mine._

**I came across a series I used to watch in the early nineties and then considering Xander's Halloween budget, it seemed to fit, especially since this show was part of those that evolved into the WB.**

Xander watched as the last toy gun was usurped by some jock and his friends that seemed determined to go as a mercenary unit. He sighed and shook his head, then dug around the bin, coming across a three button remote of some kind, an old credit card, a weightlifter's belt and a couple of odd-looking handheld devices. He nodded his head, and looked around the more grown up section of the store, and finally found something very close to what he wanted, an old WW2 bomber jacket.

"Can I help you?" a British-accented voice asked from just behind him, causing Xander to nearly leap out of his skin in startlement.

"Gah! What is it with you stealthy British types? Giles is bad enough with his library books!"

"I'm terribly sorry, and would that happen to be Rupert Giles?"

"Yeah why? You know the stuffy book guy?"

"Oh yes, much before he became a stuffy book guy, he was rather a scrappy fellow. Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Ethan, proprietor of this shop."

They shook hands, and the man continued, "So anything in particular today? It's getting nigh to closing, and for some reason I just don't feel safe at night."

"Good call, man, we have a bit of a gang problem; I was going to go as a soldier but that muscle-head and his friends cleared out the weapons. I'm trying to put together a cop costume from a sci-fi show from a few years back, where the guy used his brain." He showed the pieces together, and light entered the man's eyes.

"Ah, Time Trax," Ethan smiled, holding out his hand again, "It's nice to meet another of the four people who actually watched the show. How much were you looking to spend?"

"Well, I can probably buy these little things, but no way could I afford the jacket, let alone get the Flying Tigers thing put on it."

"Tell you what, for what you have, you can buy the smaller items, and you can return the jacket when you get the chance. Like I may have indicated, someone who actually wants to watch an intelligent television show is rare enough to cut a deal. I'll just box the things up, though I might have the proper jacket in back."

Things were a bit chaotic, the streets filled with unknowns, but it looked like a Halloween gone bad. In the nearly five years of being in this parallel past, Darien Lambert had yet to come across such a spectacle, especially as many of the costumes looked real. With a start he noticed a pretty young teenager on the ground, fallen under a hedge. He bent down to touch her as he activated his computer.

"Selma?"

"Yes?" "What?"

He looked to find that Selma and a holographic projection of the redhead both appeared from his credit card computer. The girl's body had no pulse, but was cooling without sign of injury.

"Xander! Why am I tiny and a holographic image!"

"Xander? My name's Darien, you must have me—"

Selma interrupted, "Hold on, Captain, you do appear to be in the form of one Alexander Harris of Sunnydale, California, though in spite of voice differences, my databases show you as the legitimate bearer of this Selma. The girl could be a Willow Rosenberg—"

"That's me! I'm Willow, what's going on?"

"That I do not have any information regarding," Selma apologized, but was surprised at contact when Willow patted her gratefully on the shoulder.

"Okay, Miss Rosenberg," Darien smiled ingratiatingly at Willow, "Please tell us what happened.

"Well, I dressed as a ghost, and some how even though my body's there, I'm with you all holography…"

"Okay, scan the area for odd energy signatures and the like…"

Both Selma and Willow responded the same way, "Working on it Captain," and looked at each other in surprise then smiled as they seemed to share an empathic link.

Selma spoke first, "Captain, most of the alien life forms give off very strange emissions, and none of them are in our databases."

Willow chimed in, "Maybe that's because the problem is supernatural in origin, Captain. I postulate that if I were changed into on odd form of my costume, but a holographic interactive projection instead of a ghost because of my proximity to yourself and Selma, then the kids trick or treating might also be under a similar chaotic effect."

"Selma," Darien stressed, "Any possible point of concentration in the area that you can detect that's greater than the individual ones."

"Not really, Captain Lambert, though the tiniest increase seems in a northerly direction, what do you think Miss Rosenberg?"

"I concur, Selma, and please call me Willow. After all, I am borrowing some of your unused CPU and memory capacity."

:Indeed, thank you. Anything else we can share with the Captain:

:Hmm: Willow considered at extremely fast speeds, "If it involves costumes, then perhaps we should check at the costume shops for a 'lead' as both stores are in that direction."

"Excellent Willow, and soon we—"

A scream and Darien quickly picked up her body and suddenly down the street at much faster than human speed, only to find a strange girl in a big poofy dress screaming at a car.

"That's Buffy! Save her!"

Darien calculated the unfortunate path the girl was running that would take her into the intersection and in front of a truck trying to avoid screaming unaffected children. He fired his ppt at her, dropping her like a rock.

"Okay, it'll keep her out for a few minutes; Willow what's the best place we can put the two of you while we continue this investigation?"

"Probably the high school library, Captain, it's in the direction we're traveling and Giles will have a better idea of how we might terminate this untenable situation."

"Giles?" Darien asked as he with some awkwardness carried a teenaged girl over each shoulder and started moving again, ppt in hand just in case.

"Rupert Giles, the librarian, he knows a lot about the occult and supernatural."

"Hmm, yes," Selma concurred with the choice, "Dr. Rupert Giles, with degrees in Library Science, Mythology and Ancient Languages. Former Assistant Curator of the British Museum. Oh my, he seems to have had a colorful past during his college years before remaining free of police scrutiny. Known associates, cross-referencing…there seems to be an Ethan Rayne that is also shown as conducting business in Sunnydale at this time Captain…a costume shop."

"Really? Excellent work Selma. Willow, if you vouch for his current integrity, we'll see your Dr. Giles, otherwise continue straight on to this Ethan's."

"Oh! Wow… you're right about his past… but yes, I trust him."

"Alright," Darien smiled a reassuring smile to the red head.

A few minutes later they use a key in Willow's pocket to gain access to the library without waiting. Only a minor disagreement with Willow over use of the ppt occurred.

"Good Lord, Xander," Giles called as he set down his tea and rushed over, "what happened?"

"This Buffy is only unconscious, Dr. Giles," Darien told him as he as gently as possible lowered them to the table with Giles' assistance, "Though Miss Rosenberg is I hope only temporarily deceased at this time."

"What!"

At this moment he noticed Willow and a matronly dressed woman projecting atop Buffy's large hair.

"It's me, Giles! Willow! We think an old friend of yours named Ethan Rayne sold us costumes that we turned into."

"A-and you turned into a tiny ghost?"

"Never mind! Captain Lambert will explain."

"Who?"

"Me," Darien remarked, holding out his hand, which Giles absently shook, "I'm actually Darien Lambert, and Xander seems to be elsewhere right now. If you believe no one will enter the building while we're gone, we'll leave the two young ladies here while we induce this Ethan Rayne to reverse his actions."

"O-of course, we'll place them in the weapons cage."

"Weapons cage? At a high school?"

"It's a very long story, but suffice to say they are sometimes needed to defend the school."

"I'll let it pass, since I probably won't be here much longer anyway."

Two humans and two AIs entered the building, unaware that William the Bloody and his minions had followed out of curiosity a Watcher about to apparently commit a breaking and entering.

"Where is this friend of yours, Dr. Giles?" Darien asked as a short man came out of the back room.

"I'm Ethan…officer…and I believe you both to be trespassing and without a warrant."

Giles surged forth in disgust, fists clenched and waving, "I'll barrister your way out of this!" But Darien halted the attempted assault.

"Dr. Giles, I'm afraid I can't allow you to assault the man…"

A voice broke through with its own disapproval, "Why the bloody Hell not? I like to have the meat tenderized before I eat it."

Darien turned and remarked to the leather-clad man that a whispering Willow told him was a real vampire like the ones with him, and needed to be eliminated, Selma concurring.

"Well, I believe that in California in this century that sodomy was still against the law, even for the undead, which would add necrophilia to your crimes as well, in addition to your own illegal entry."

The vampire snarled in offense as the minions snickered at the remark, Darien firing his ppt five times very quickly, the blue button for maximum stun, but the result was quite unexpected. For a brief moment the energy flashed over the beings, and apparently it was enough to disrupt the blood magic binding the demon to the host long enough for William the Bloody and his snickering minions to dust into history.

Ethan tried to make an escape, but Giles tripped him, quickly following the downed Chaos Mage into the back room where a bust of Janus, eyes glowing, rested. Giles struck the mage gleefully three or four times until Darien made his way in back, Ripper offering a smile, "Just trying to make a citizen's arrest, guv," as he kicked the man twice while he was down.

"Hold up, Dr. Giles," the cop from the future directed as he approached Ethan, "Mr. Rayne, are you prepared to cooperate?"

His response was bloody spittle to be ejected at him from the man's mouth. Darien frowned and moved his finger over the red button, firing at Chaos Mage and then Janus, Ethan disappearing and a brief feedback loop visible to Giles as the young man winced, then lowered the ppt.

"Alexander? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, Dr. Giles, I am…the young man stated wearily, "though Ethan will be back, here, one year from now."

"H-how do you know this?"

I have all of Darien's memories, including those of when he returned home to the future, and spent five years chasing down one Ethan Rayne, as well as other terrorists before Ethan mortally shot him. Darien managed to shoot him as well, as Ethan manages to escape in a slightly more efficient TRAX device 204 years into the past instead of two hundred. So in spite of all this ingrained law enforcement, I intend to return to this spot and eradicate Ethan Rayne. And will not tolerate interference."

A holographic image popped up, of Selma, "I'm afraid that would make you as bad as he, Alexander. I hope that within the year you come up with a better solution than base criminality or I'll be sorely disappointed."

"Sel? You're…here?"

"Indeed, somehow that feedback loop has maintained the reality of that which was on you at the time, Captain Harris, including the paralyzing beam, the ppt, the SFD, and the APTUX."

"Wow…"

"So you now have the tools to continue a modified version of the mission, not to necessarily eject problems into the future, which the ppt will allow, but to make a difference. Something to which both you and Captain Lambert have sworn."

"Alright, but I'm reserving termination as a last resort. Fair enough?"

"Let us hope to avoid that, Captain."

Giles nodded, "Indeed, Alexander, as much as I wish to kill him, I haven't yet given up hope of a better solution."

"Okay, let's go find Wills and Buff, make sure their okay. Oh? And Selma? I do need you to come up with equivalent identities in various databases and such, to those Darien used, tomorrow. And I'd like my emancipation papers to go through, and a name change to Alexander Lambert."

"He'd be honored, Alexander."

"Thanks Sel."

"Don't call me Sel unless you wish for me to call you vampy."

"Alright."

"That goes double for me, Xander," Giles smirked.

"Okay."


	2. Chapter 2

_Xander Trax 2: Cop on the Hellmouth_   
_Author: Tohonomike __Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners...it will start off with the Joss/ME characters, and the Lorimar characters aren't mine either and any other characters or real-life folks are clearly not mine. NO money is involved. None are mine._

**This is dedicated to those of you who watched the show. After all of these years, I don't really remember that much, so we're going to go with still, look and feel rather than strict detail. Anyone that feels like making suggestions, please feel free; maybe I can fit them into the outline I'm filling out for this one. Also, I'm too lazy too research, so if anyone feels an unnatural compulsion to find the 'stats' on Darien, feel free and thanks in advance.**

Alexander and Giles were about to leave the costume store when the former turned and looked about the place. He then found a strongbox, and in the register an extra set of keys with which he locked the door.

"Not very law-abiding," Giles considered as they left, nodding at the strongbox.

Alexander smiled Lambert's smile, a softer version of his own trademark, and Xander's voice seemed to have traded the edge it sometimes had for a softer but if possible more confident and determined quality, "I'll have Selma invest it, or ask you to place a series of wagers. I'll return the liquidity in question in a year, but use the proceeds to help mitigate some of the suffering he caused tonight. Any funds thereafter will be used to fund any activity which will keep human and demonic improper activity to a minimum, which could include the continued letting of this shop. Fair enough, Dr. Giles?"

"Yes, quite, and well planned," the Watcher complimented, reinforcing Xander's determination to continue as the new Alexander Lambert, "are you planning to become a police officer?"

"No, though I am going to be engaged in investigation and law enforcement, I can't see Darien or myself putting up with the Sunnydale Police for much more than ten minutes."

"Understandable."

"And for now, Giles, I'd rather you not tell anyone about Selma or my continued state of competency without my permission."

"Well, I won't lie to the girls if directly asked, but other than that you have my word."

"Thank you, Giles. Until I know what I'm going to undertake, I'd like to avoid outside scrutiny."

When Alexander and Rupert entered the Library, they found Angel, Cordelia, Buffy and a very much alive Willow talking, the blonde Slayer changed into gym clothes. Willow and Alexander rushed to each other and hugged.

"Wills! Are you alright?" he asked as he held her for a moment in only the tiniest beyond a brotherly manner, then held her out so he could examine her for obvious injuries.

"I'm fine, now, how about you, Captain?" she whispered as she made him hug her again.

"I'm fine…Miss Rosenberg," he answered with a light tone as she drew back, and continued softly, as they moved away from the others, "Alexander Lambert, at your service. How much do you remember?'

"I remember it all, actually, Captain, I mean Xander. My computer science skills are way beyond what they were; before I could manipulate what people had, maybe splice some code. Now I could probably develop the theories, codes and guidelines for SELMA, and given forty or fifty years bring her and others into being instead of waiting two centuries."

"Anything else?" he asked almost casually, "and do you feel physically alright?"

"I'm fine, other than feeling the overwhelming habit to call you Captain, that is. And what was Darien doing making such a bad comment to the vampires before dusting them?"

"Oh, just trying to make a slightly unstable personality a bit more off-put, Willow. As you might remember from watching with me with bullies or Buffy with vampires, the use of quips and other words can make them mad enough not to think. Darien's from a time that wouldn't care about such activity as long as it wasn't a public nuisance, and I'm confidently straight, so I don't care either. But Spike's image clearly showed psychological compensations in the human-based personality, and being that it was a demon, more likely to take it as an attack. This bought me the split second extra to eliminate all of them instead of a couple. Alright?"

"Yeah, but you're okay, right? Any changes?"

"Like I've hinted by name, Willow, I think I've gotten most of the package; how about just the two of us get together tomorrow and we discuss the possibilities of this further?"

"What about the others? What should we tell them?"

"Giles knows a little, but nothing else for now; just that it's good to be us in control of our bodies."

"Deception through literal truth but not revelation of every pertinent fact; that doesn't seem very Darien Lambert of you."

"No, that's pure me, Willow." He smiled and as they turned and rejoined the group, Xander's arm hadn't left Willow's back, something she quite enjoyed, though at the same time wondered if colleagues should engage in such behavior, 'I guess being like SELMA means part of her personality, being a little more disciplined and logical, stayed with me.'

"Hey Buffy?" Alexander asked mildly, "Feeling better?"

"Better than making an ass of myself? Oh yeah, and you?"

"Fine, just checking on Willow…"

"Giles said you took out Spike and four minions?"

"Darien did that, but I can't say I'm broke up about dusting vampires," he replied, then noticed Angel staring at him from only four feet away. "You're looking at me funny; don't you remember to eat before wandering out?"

The veiled reference to the night Xander dragged the souled vampire to go save Buffy from the Master was enough for Angel to momentarily lose his train of thought. He leaned against the computer table where Willow had left an open connection running, and set Selma down.

"Anyway, guys, I'm a little tired: Willow? Walk you home?"

"Sure, that'd be great…" the girl replied with a smile.

**The Next Morning**

Alexander had stayed up late and triaged his possessions, and had gone out to the back yard and dug up his various caches. He could still hear the quiet of the parents, and with a full military pack, and a large duffle, Alexander Harris left his house—hopefully for the last time.

The walk to Ethan's was a little out of the way, but the keys let him into the back room. Looking carefully, around, he found some paperwork, including the fact that there was an apartment upstairs accessible from either the empty shop next door, or the alleyway staircase. But that could wait for now, and he left also through the rear to pick up Selma from the library.

As eight o' clock approached, he entered the school building and moved over to the computer station, still operating, "Selma report?"

The holo-image manifested itself promptly, at regular human size as though sitting at the computer station herself "Captain Lambert, it is good to see you this morning sir."

"It's good to see you too, Selma. What progress were you able to make since last night?"

"Well, I've managed to create two dozen variants on Darien's previous sets of identification, but as you are actually going to remain in this century, I took the liberty of filling in far more detail, and several layers deeper in regards to school records, birth certificate duplicates, that sort of thing"

"Were you able to print out hard copies and appropriate paperwork explaining the need for the replacements?"

"Affirmative, and I took the liberty of using other agencies, using the names of agents and support staff retiring yesterday as the requestors, so within three or four business days your documentation will be arriving at the stor address; I hope I presumed correctly?"

"Excellent work and you presumed correctly Selma. Right now, I need you to transfer everything you can find of Ethan Rayne's to whichever accounts or corporate entity you deem appropriate. I also would like you to determine the ownership status of the shop, and any individual components comprising that row. I think we'll want to try acquiring them when we have the funds, and perhaps set up a more permanent base of operations than what you and Darien had."

"Very well, sir. Anything else?"

"Yes, when you conducted a scan on my background last night, were you aware of the … personal reasons for my emancipation?"

"No, sir."

"Do so, and if possible from the Harris records please develop the best evidence, charges, and over all case for filing charges with the State, County and City, as well as civil and criminal charges of negligence against the police officers, child welfare workers and others that clearly never bothered to interview me to determine my true situation."

"Yes, sir. Anything else, Captain?"

"Hmm, in your world none of this supernatural stuff was real, was it?"

"No sir, the various euphemisms of which you and Dr. Giles informed me are very much nonexistent in my records."

"Alright. What information do you have in your databases on my alternate self?"

"Only an outline, such as might be found in the average background check; no real details."

"What about the others here?"

"I have records for Joyce Summers, Elizabeth Summers, Willow Rosenberg, Ira and Sheila Rosenberg, Dr. Rupert Giles. Though the Sunnydale of that world was a subdivision of Ventura, and only you and the Rosenbergs were there."

Willow, dressed in much the same manner as the night before, sleepily waving as she entered the library.

"Willow, you're looking very attractive this morning. Why the change in style?"

The girl beamed at the compliment and Xander's taking notice, and leaned in for a hug and kissed him on the cheek, "Well, when I woke up I really didn't feel right in my normal clothes; what's weird is I either wanted to dress this way or like Selma. Hi Selma, good morning."

"Good morning, Miss Rosenberg, and there is nothing inherently wrong with either manner of dress; comfort, practicality and your own considerations are what's important."

The redhead beamed at the holo-person, "Thank you, Selma. Uh, Selma? Don't take this the wrong way, but why are you still with us now the spell is over?"

Selma looked at her Captain, who nodded, "We believe that the use of the TRAX device on the statue so immediately after that on Ethan, caused a feedback loop, so here I am. There is a very small energy signature still extant around many of the transitioned items, as well as yourself. Are you feeling alright?"

Alexander's brow furrowed slightly with concern, "Selma, any speculation as to the energy?"

"The chaos energy of which we discussed with Dr. Giles. I believe in your case it manifested itself genetically and how it may have adjusted Miss Rosenberg, who had both corporeal and holographic presences, remains to be seen, but I can detect no cellular problems."

Xander and Willow both sighed, then Xander continued, "Alright, that's very good news. Willow, I was just having Selma look up any records of our alternates, but now that you're here, can you concentrate and feel or remember anything about last night that matches how you feel now?"

"Other than calling you Captain, feeling a deference to you and my fashion tendencies?"

"Yeah, besides those," he added with his new smile.

"Hmm, let me see…" she considered, then reached out and found she could treat Selma as a solid object, holding her hand, "I guess I'm sensitive to a certain use of light." She smiled, then pulled the woman into a hug, "I'm glad you're her. If we had to figure this out on our own it might take forever and I'd feel scared more than with you here."

Selma looked confused, then commented, "Willow, I believe you've just gone completely non-corporeal yourself. Are you alright?"

"Wow, yes I am," the red head nodded as Xander looked at her in shock, then consideration.

"Willow, can you decide to become solid again?" he asked, then the girl attempted to 'will' herself but to no avail. As she looked a bit worried, he approached, "Okay, try touching me, then try."

After a moment, she was able to do it easily, "Wow."

"I agree, and looking at the table, and feeling a bit drained, I'm guessing you're able to draw the necessary energy to change your…phase frequency? Selma?"

"I concur, Captain, and the chaos energy around her hasn't changed. Though scanning the area, I'm quite surprised to find you seem to be a null as regards to the same energy. That might be why she was able to use you as a living catalyst; you only seem to lose a bit of excess water, perhaps a counter to the heat of energy passing briefly through you."

"Interesting. Willow, if you're willing, let's try something. Can you change back the other way without touching Selma? If so, let's see if there are any distant or line of sight issues. Then let's see if you can change anything about yourself while in non-corporeal form, then try to change back."

Forty-five minutes later, and a few embarrassing experiences later, they'd determined that Willow had a five meter changing radius; she couldn't leave in holo-form beyond the location of Selma's physical card form, and would revert to a little Willow projection on it if she tried. She could of course change her clothes and general appearance, but nothing that changed her 'basic template' as Selma and Willow determined.

The interesting thing was that while Willow changed back naked when she'd tried to come back in a sundress, and wile embarrassed the redhead was not displeased that Xander's body had started to react the way she wanted it to. That aside, she was able to come back in her previous outfit, minus underwear, and a quick run to the gym was enough to show she could store and change back to solid anything she 'took with her' into Selma. But unless Xander was within five meters of Selma's card, Willow couldn't access whatever it was that allowed her to change. They figured it must be the fact that Alexander as 'Captain' had to give at least tacit permission by being there for it to happen.

"That's beyond fascinating," Alexander smiled with disbelief and no little interested embarrassment, after she'd taken regular objects and weapons, then was able to come back with any previous mix. She'd even managed to merge two swords in holoform into a really big sword that came through with her, but iffy in quality. By the time they were done, though, Xander had probably finished off about three gallons of water and another three gallons had evaporated from a water cooler bottle he'd placed next to himself, four chairs, and the outer eighth inch of veneer had been consumed as energy for her activity; not even dust remained. While not particularly beautiful, the wood at least was pristine and if coated appear new. "I wonder if you could learn to specify the source of your material."

"What do you mean, Xan?"

"Well, if you could do this near me, but pull the energy through a bunch of vamps, you might be able to dust 'em doing just that."

"Wow," Willow replied, looking a bit tired herself and also a drinker of two gallons of water, sat down next to him and leaned on him, dressed in gym clothes. After two minutes of silent contemplation alone, (Selma was on the Internet, not in her holoform, following up on research spawned by these developments), Willow smiled evilly into Xander's chest, "Darn, I should have remembered my bra and panties."

She could almost sense his now genetically-enhanced brain freeze.

An hour later, the two teens headed into Ethan's shop, and once inside, she fired up the computer as he looked around and found everything still in place. They were surprised at how neat his records were, and that most people had paid completely, with only a few dozen rentals. A tapping on the glass brought them out of their consideration. They opened the door and a man walked in and over to the register. Alexander came over and took position behind he register.

"Can we help you?"

"Yes, the name's Simmons, Mark Simmons," the man said pulling out his wallet and a visa card, "My wife and I decided to keep our costumes instead of returning them."

Willow pulled out the customer card and nodded, blushing, as she handed it to Xander and took the card for processing as another customer entered. Xander looked at it and smiled, thinking of what the previous night must have been like for a satyr and succubus. Nodding, he turned to the man, "That'll be two hundred and five dollars for the pair."

"Oh, that's fine, we had a bit much to drink last night, but our marriage this morning was never better."

The next four hours went pretty much the same, about a hundred adult customers netted the teens around three thousand in cash, and five thousand for the business, between deposits, purchases, returns and such. As fascinated and happy as the two were, they didn't want to think about costume rentals that might not be coming back again because of the same spell that left most of today's adult costume pairs very happy."

Around two o'clock, Rupert Giles walked into the building carrying what seemed to be a rather large grocery bag of take-out food selections. He smiled as he set it down on an almost-cleared table.

"I saw the two of you handling yourselves quite well and decided to take my turn. But once I left, I couldn't make up my mind and picked up Chinese, Thai and Greek."

"All are excellent choices, Dr. Giles," Alexander smiled as he reached in and began unloading the bag, "We really haven't had time to eat much today."

"I'm actually surprised to see you here Willow," Giles mused, "Does this mean you have recollections about last night as well?"

"Yes I do, Dr. Giles," Willow responded, with a slight Selma quality that Giles felt refreshing. But with a whimsical smile he looked at both of them.

"If you intend to keep your activities at least semi-secret, it might be best," he sighed dramatically, "if you both continue to call me Giles. I didn't emphasize my doctorates on my job application, and it might make people look harder into my background."

Willow blushed a little and nodded, "Alright Giles."

The Watcher stepped up and checking outside first, drew the blinds and put up the 'Out to Lunch' sign up and adjusted it to show three o'clock as the reopen time.

"There, now we can talk."

"Anything in particular?" Xander asked, clearing a table for their dining purposes. Looking around, "Willow, could you bring us some tea? I forgot I haven't had time to check the apartment yet, let alone for beverages."

"Okay, and I can change my clothes to something more comfortable." She smiled, phased halfway out of sight, became gym clothes clad with Giles' tea tray from the library they hadn't put back during their experiments, then touching Xander popped back. Giles look intrigued as his speechlessness delayed reaction for the thirty seconds.

"Good Heavens, that's remarkable. This even looks like my tray at the library."

"Um, it is, Giles," Willow demurred, "I can't copy things, at least not yet, but I can store things and we were experimenting, and forgot. I don't think we really planned to be here that long, but the customers came in…"

"Hmm, well, please return it later, preferably with tea ready to go," he smiled back at the apologetic girl, "But to answer Alexander's question, I think we should perhaps begin with whatever you've discovered for yourselves today. Oh, and I must warn you of two things: all of the food is from the authentic menus as opposed to the usual ones, and don't even think of getting between me and the Szechuan offerings. Understood?"

"Understood," they responded with smiles, and decide to come clean with their morning except for the naked Willow stuff.

They closed at five, and as far as they could tell, all but six rentals were accounted for, and the amount of net receipts was rather astounding. Slow as business was, Willow amused herself and the others by putting on about two dozen costumes that seemed more authentic or potentially useful, including four swordsman or demon hunter outfits with authentic weaponry and accessories that Willow thought looked really good on Xander but that Giles also considered potentially useful. That way if a change of clothes were needed, Willow could 'pop back out' with them in her arms. The three of them and Selma were amazed, but Selma determined that the further from the Hellmouth or the shop, the more energy it would take for changes. But while they were in Sunnydale, they now had greater flexibility in their ability to respond to threats.

After he locked the door behind Giles, and with Willow deciding to check something in the back room, Xander sighed at the feeling a good day of work and progress seemed to make. He was about to turn around when he heard Willow's smirking voice.

"Captain X, do you think this dominatrix suit makes my butt look big?"

And he had no Darien experience upon which to draw in response to such a truly dangerous and world-changing question.

Author's Note: This will NOT become a sex flick, but a little bit of the type of girl Willow dressed as for Halloween has remained, and that part of Willow's personality is going to have some fun; will this become W/X? Maybe; I don't know yet. But I think the two of them might have a bit more fun than just the pre-Halloween W/X would have.


	3. Chapter 3

_Xander Trax 3: Cop on the Hellmouth_   
_Author: Tohonomike __Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners...it will start off with the Joss/ME characters, and the Lorimar characters aren't mine either and any other characters or real-life folks are clearly not mine. NO money is involved. None are mine._

**This is dedicated to those of you who watched the show.**

**SHS Principal's Office, Monday, November 3rd, 1997, 12:00 PM**

Alexander Lambert left Snyder's office with a satisfied smile on his face, especially as the process server and police officer escorting said server and Xander had made sure the offensive slacker had to remain somewhat under control during the business a hand.

Selma had managed to find in Snyder's own records and reports before the school board, twenty libelous or slanderous statements against Alexander and other Scoobs, two of which included Cordelia Chase, and five clear cases of negligence on the part of the administration in assuring the safety of staff and students during daylight hours. The process server left as soon as receipt was given for the lawsuit and the warrant to appear in State District Court with the school board members as a preliminary procedure before the grand jury as to whether charges need be brought.

When Snyder had nastily asked as to why 'the boy' and not his parents were present, the policeman had replied that with twenty-five separate charges of child abuse and complicity, the individuals in question would not be seen outside of confinement for quite a while. Snyder's eyes had gone big when Xander had placed his name change and emancipation papers on the desk.

"Anything you say to me now will be as to an adult, sir, and other than as per school requirements that the responsible adult for the student, in this case myself, present the requisite documentation, you are to maintain a policy of non-interaction during school hours and minimum of five hundred feet outside of school hours, with regards to those named in the charges. So, I've now in the presence of the police made available said documents for appropriate alteration in my enrollment papers, I'll be leaving. You'll find my attorney's contact information if you and the school board wish to discuss settlement of the civil matters. Good day, Principal Snyder."

Alexander was dressed nicely enough in a simple light blue shirt, khaki slacks, dress shoes and blue blazer, which in and of itself drew notice during that lunch hour as he made his way to where Buffy and Willow were sitting outside in the usual spot.

"Buffy, Willow, how are you?" he smiled as he scooted in next to Willow, "How's the dominatrix today?"

Buffy briefly choked on her food as Xander chuckled and Willow blushed deep red as Xander took pity on his new partner in crime…fighting.

"Just a little payback for a Willow joke the other day, Buffy. When my back was turned for a few minutes she asked if her dominatrix outfit made her butt look big. So not of the funny then. I turned around and she was in normal clothes."

"Way to go Willow!" Buffy applauded her friend, "Now if we can get you to dress more like Halloween…"

"Or at least the two of you in dominatrix costumes when it won't give me a surprise heart attack…" Xander kidded with wagging eyebrows, causing both to blush and roll eyebrows, "So what's new today?"

"You learned how to dress?" Buffy smirked as she pointed at his clothes with her sandwich.

"I'll have you know I learned to dress on Saturday, so there!" the responded with a show of fake dignity.

"Well, I seem to be able to speak the French better," Buffy considered.

Xander smiled, "Montrez-moi le vocabulaire!"

"Tu-parlaiz le francais?" she replied with a shocked smile, "Since when?"

"My costume guy was like an Interpol cop, Buffy, so he spoke the main languages. Maybe if we practice our Frenching, we'll keep the skills."

She missed the wagging eyebrows, and nodded agreement, "Okay…hey! Xander!"

Buffy left to check in with Giles, so Willow and Xander remained a few minutes to catch up. She was flabbergasted when he'd told her of his legal offensive that morning.

"But what if we get someone worse then Snyder! Some one who pays attention!"

"Oh, don't worry, Willow," Alexander smiled, "I plan for Dr. Giles' advanced tutoring sessions to continue at least until you and I graduate at the end of the school year."

"Why would we want to do that? And wouldn't that leave Dr. Giles and Miss Summers by them—hey! Now you have me being formal about our friends, Cap—Mister. Don't make me bring out the resolve face!"

"It might be nice if you really had a dominatrix outfit to go with the resolve face…"

"Oh!" she blushed deeply once again, then smiled evilly at him, huskily speaking, "Maybe I should, Alexander."

"No, that's alright, Willow," her friend taking his turn at blushing and redirected the conversation before his brain could shut down from the blood moving to other parts, "And I think Giles is right, though, at least when others might be able to hear us, other than a brief change in my position in the pecking order around here from perceived loser to better-dressed non-entity, we should minimize our profiles. I see you're dressing a little more fashionably, though not too noticeably hottie, kinda what I'm aiming at. I hope to have confirmation from my instructors once word gets out about my legal actions against Snyder; I'm going for independent study of my classes for this year, next year and the AP stuff. I seem to have Darien's intelligence and education."

"Wow, I thought about it, but I kinda like school. Why all the classes?"

They heard the bell rang and headed in as he answered, "It's easy now, and between working the store and cramming classes, I'll be Mr. Young Law-Abiding Citizen that'll be very hard for Snyder or others to cause direct troubles for. And I'll still be checking in before and after work hours with Giles and the teachers, so I will have a clear and indisputable reason to be here."

"You're gonna keep the costume shop?"

"Yeah, and I'm thinking of buying the magic shop next door and maybe putting in a regular book and gift shop, maybe even a coffee house since it's much closer to the college than the 'Pump."

"Wow, how're you going to keep up on two places, let alone three? And where are you getting the money?"

"I was actually hoping to persuade the daughter of Sheila and Ira Rosenberg to be my partner. And we'd hire a 'grown up' as manager. Maybe get your folks to put up some front money, which Selma's investing could repay within a short period of time but have fewer questions."

"Me? Your partner? Hmm, I'd have to do the school thing like you, then huh?" We could hire Amy part-time 'cause she knows the magic stuff. I don't know about Mom and Dad, though if I just placed all my school papers to sign in front of them… they might not even notice."

"See, so think about it, okay?"

She watched as he took his seat in class, 'Let's see, the two of us together that close almost every minute? And with you starting to notice me in a fun mature way? Captain, you just won't know what hit you after I say yes.'

Alexander was unlocking the front door to the store he'd had transferred over earlier that day, when his new attorney and two other men drove up and followed him in.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Levinson?" the young man asked, "Anything wrong?"

"Not at all, Alexander," Jonathan's father assured him, "But Mr. Finch with the Mayor's Office, and Mr. MacDonald, representing all parties of your lawsuit, asked to meet with you and offer a settlement prior to any court activity."

"Well, is their offer reasonable?"

"Actually, yes…"

The young lawyer offered his hand to shake, "We believe in light of the unfortunate combinations of circumstance, more than fair, Mr. Lambert. And we hope to clear this up before it can become too disruptive to school discipline and the learning process."

"Come in, then, and have a seat. I'm just cleaning up."

The lawyer from Wolfram and Hart looked around, "How does a young man make such a change in a weekend, if I might ask?"

"The owner of this place bumped me with his car," Alexander lied, "And while he didn't have insurance and didn't cause me much injury, he noticed other marks and offered me some advice on my familial condition, and about taking control of my life. So I settled for his marginal business, sent him on his way and filed the papers all of you know about. So while it all executed at once, this has been building."

The three men nodded, as all they really knew about was the Snyder and Harris situations.

Alexander gestured, "So what do you have for me?"

Mr. Levinson cleared his throat, "They're offering you seventy-five thousand as the clearly wronged party, which will be fifty-thousand after fees and such; Miss Rosenberg and Miss Summers will receive ten thousand after fees and such, and Miss Chase five thousand. The school aspects do not seem as great a factor in comparison to the failure to act against your parents, Alexander, and I agree."

"Mr. Finch? Who owns the empty store next door?"

"I believe its city-reclaimed property, why?"

"I want that, and the city or whomever to pick up the legal and other fees, with the utilities turned on, so if bringing it to code is necessary it need to be done first, then we have a deal financially. I submitted a program of independent stuffy with 24/7 school resource access, for instance dialing in and using the T-1 line, or continue my tutoring with Giles the library guy. That needs to be approved, and for others mentioned in the suit. I'll pretty much guarantee everybody but the Chases will comply if I ask. If any of you may have dealt with the Chases, you'll understand their being a possible exception."

Levinson smiled, "I figured that was why you specifically named them, just to make sure the suit was noticed."

"Yup. So, deal everyone?"

"Deal."

Xander had called Willow to have Buffy and Giles meet them at Mrs. Summers gallery just before it closed. The woman was almost as amazed by the improved Xander as she was by the sudden lawsuit and pending settlement.

"So, this will result in ten thousand dollars for Buffy? I think nine thousand should be placed into a college trust immediately, Mr. Levinson, if I'm to agree to that."

"Mrs. Summers, I'll handle that first thing in the morning at no charge. But I think this is extremely favorable for all concerned. Mr. and Mrs. Rosenberg?"

Over the speaker phone the long-distance call from DC carried through clearly, "We agree, and since you're already our personal attorney, just deposit into Willow's personal account if you would Stan."

"I'll take care of when I set up Miss Summers' college account, Ira, Sheila." He turned to the group, "Wow, that was fast, so let's finish signing and we're done. I do believe Mr. Johansen next door is a notary."

"Wow, Xander, you got me a thousand dollars of shopping money. If I'd have gotten the whole ten, I might've had to toss Angel to the curb."

"So if I give you nine out of my—"

Smack.

"Too late," she smirked, and laughed with Willow as the three walked arm in arm back toward the Espresso Pump.


	4. Chapter 4

_Xander Trax 4: Cop on the Hellmouth_   
_Author: Tohonomike __Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners...it will start off with the Joss/ME characters, and the Lorimar characters aren't mine either and any other characters or real-life folks are clearly not mine. NO money is involved. None are mine._

**This is dedicated to those of you who watched the show.**

**SHS Principal's Office, November 4th, 1997, 7:55 AM**

Alexander walked up to the secretary's desk, and for the first time he could remember the woman smiled brightly at him, "Hello, Alexander, the Snapping Turtle isn't in today; apparently he's taken a sick day for some reason."

"I'm pained," he smiled back, a little shyly, "Hey, did the approval for my class restructuring go through yet?"

"Oh yes! And Willow Rosenberg's too. Also, the test days and such are there also, in calendar format."

"Why thank you, I appreciate it," he smiled again as he looked it over, and placed it in a folder, "Have a great day, now."

Xander had a great time heading to computer class, showing up and after waving Willow forward and talking to Miss Calendar, they both left class to the amazement of the other students.

"Well, Willow, did you have a chance to ask your parents?"

"About the school and everything? Yes. But not about the money. But I think you have that handled already. At least once you get some one old enough to legally sign the business contracts with vendors, we'll be good to go. Or if you incorporate, which requires a couple adults, you could have them appoint you as manager with the authority. That way as long as you're paying on delivery and not in arrears, they can sell to you."

"I love your brain, Willow," the young man smiled at his best friend and business partner, 'if only I could get the dominatrix image out of my own brain…'

She beamed at him, 'Getting closer, my captain, maybe I really ought to switch into the dominatrix costume sometime. He doesn't know I had it on when I asked him, and changed at the last second.'

The business day was a little slow, but just as well since the two students plotted out and scheduled their study times, business hours and even Buffy and Slayer time for the next eight months. Ethan's records had been surprisingly exemplary, and with only their own adjustments, the inventory, shrinkage and minor details were soon squared away by lunch. And Xander noticed Willow seemed to be scooting by him and just managing the occasional contact as they passed. And while she seemed oblivious, his older-guy Darien memories assured him that he was clearly under attack. Those memories also suggested that redheads with green eyes were very much attractive.

Alexander turned the out to lunch sign around at one o'clock, having decided that people on their own lunch hours might actually want to shop in the costume store; four did.

They business couple entered the empty store Xander had added to his part of the settlement, and it seemed intact, very recently remodeled including paint, and ready for occupancy.

"Hmm, Willow? Want to have lunch with me?" Alexander asked, maybe a little reticent. She turned at the semi-formal nature of the question.

"Sure, Alexander, I'd love to. But why the formality?"

"Because it's semi-date-like?"

"Semi?"

"I'm not quite sure of the signals being sent, and I'm not sure which are my preferences or Darien's…so is 'semi' okay for now?"

"But definitely date-like?"

"Yeah…"

She hugged him close, a little more so than expected, and beamed, "I'd love to."

As he watched her head back to the other store to freshen up, he wondered, 'I wonder what a full date gets me.'

Blushing, he followed, 'Bad Alexander…'

They'd gone to the little Italian Bistro that had always seemed to be a bit pricey, but Alexander could only smile at how much his Willow enjoyed the lunch and the Italian soda afterwards.

They reached the store, and reopened it, Willow agreeing to cover the register and work out technical stuff with Selma as Xander looked over Selma's floor plans for if the magic store owner were willing to sell. He noted the improved fixture and inventory relocations based on popularity, volume, profitability and two hundred more years of esthetic research. She'd also included variations on what to do with the very large space above the three units, possible living space, storage space, and small police raining facility. She'd even considered amounts of materials, costs, labor and what Darien would have been able to handle with his skill set to minimize his profile in Sunnydale. Happily, after electric and power were contracted out, it would take several months but he could probably do all of the rest himself. His Xanderness felt good about doing it by hand, that way it all wouldn't seem like they were cheating. Willow smiled when he'd told her this an hour or so later.

"So I get to watch you all manly and sweaty with your shirt off and hand you a cold one?" she smiled teasingly, and leaned into his side as she looked at the lists of materials and figures, "'cause I vote for that. And you're right about it almost feeling like cheating, but with this whole retail stuff and your building the place, it feels good, ya know?"

Buffy and Giles walked into the store a few minutes later to find Xander's arm lingering around Willow's back as they looked up from the prints Selma had printed on the large plotter the AI had ordered and rush-delivered with a bunch of other computer equipment, much of it that new wireless people were starting to talk about, as well as cabling and switching.

"Hey guys," Buffy smiled at what looked like the early stages of couple-hood, giving her best female friend a knowing look, "Whatcha looking at?"

Willow understood the look and smiled back, "Oh, we're going to put in a computer network, with like a catalog with pictures and prices, so people can look up to see what we have in stock, and what they can order through us if we don't."

"I say, something useful from that infernal machine," Giles nodded with approval, "and if you keep it simple I dare say it should be successful."

Xander nodded, "Well what brings you by so soon after school?"

Buffy looked up from where her and Willow had started to whisper, "Oh, just wanted to see how the two shopkeepers were doing; it's the talk of school. And without Spike to worry about, I'm hoping for a slow week until the next vampire decides to make himself boss-vamp."

Xander cocked an eyebrow in her direction, causing her to confess, "Plus I have to catch up girl-gossip with Willow; haven't seen her much since Halloween. And Giles wanted to talk to you about something boring."

"Excuse me," Giles rolled his eyes and chose to further ignore the teenaged girl, then gestured to the back of the store, "But she is correct, Xander. I would like to discuss some things with you."

"Sure G-Man," the youth replied loud enough for Buffy to hear and smile about as they headed into the back room and close the door. "So, Dr. Giles, what would you like to discuss?"

"I merely wished to ascertain how you and Willow are faring. I take it both of you are retaining everything so far…"

"I haven't noticed any reduction, and she doesn't seem to, why?"

"Well, Buffy has today made the re-acquaintance of a former schoolmate. Since this is the Hellmouth, I wondered if you could, um, use your investigative skills to see if his arrival at this time is mere coincidence."

"We can do that, Giles, but you seem a little more concerned."

"Well, I've considered that Buffy's costume would carry with it not only very few useful skills, but negative personality traits. I'd like to make sure that you and Willow aren't going to suddenly fade out from her socially, as if such traits linger, they might become reinforced by isolation."

"Wow, Giles, that's incredibly insightful, and not just in a Watcher-Slayer way."

"Well, with you and Willow both likely to maintain your gifts due to the proximity to the statue, after Buffy excelled on her French test today, I have no choice but to widen my area of concern."

Alexander smiled, "And you're welcome to do so, Giles. While I now have much more experience because of the memories, you have more direct experience from the point of view of this world in particular. And I can't think of a better mentor for the three of us to have. So Willow and I will do a full background check and hopefully will have something for you tomorrow. Do you have a name?"

"Billy Fordham, he's matriculating at Sunnydale." Giles waited a moment as Xander wrote it down.

"I'm not going to …touch that one, Giles."

"I just had to be sure there was something of the old you in there."

"Well, the best way to describe it, is that after twenty years as an Interpol officer, I suddenly went back in time to my earlier self and can't remember the events themselves afterwards."

"A forty year old now plagued by his teenaged body? You poor bas—never mind, but that does rather describe it quite well. But Willow…"

"Um, then continuing our analogical construct, then I not knowing of events, I'm pretty sure she was my wife or long-term girlfriend during that time and I'm not willing going to give up the relationship of my life due to the weirdness of it all? Since…I'm a young guy that now has skills and a dress sense."

"Hmm, very well, it at least makes it easier in terms of how to speak with you on matters."

"If they still show the reruns of Time Trax at ten on Fridays, you could watch them and compare."

"Oh well, thank you for your candor," Giles nodded as they shook hands and entered the front of the store again. Buffy smiled and looked up.

"What were you two talking about?"

"Giles figured he needed to step in and give me 'the Dad' speech about taking care of one of his daughters," Xander smiled disingenuously close to the truth, but making it look like his relationship with Willow was the issue, "The usual bodily harm and avoidance thereof."

Buffy laughed and grabbed her mentor's arm as they left to get some training done. She turned to Willow, "Remember, tonight at the Bronze, okay?"

"Do you do that all the time? The near-truth thing?"

"Only so I don't have to lie or betray confidences," he shrugged, then filled her in on Giles' request, "So what did Buffy have to say?"

"Well…" Willow drew out the word, "She's happy that we're an almost-couple, but she saw Angel with a vampiress that he knew who was wearing clothes like from the last century, so maybe she's an old flame, so Buffy's a little down."

"Hmm, while I don't like the corpsy one at all, if it was that far back it would have been Angelus the Bitey and not Angel the Broody. Which begs the question of why he'd just talk with her."

"I don't know, you want me to research this Billy Fordham?"

"Yeah," Xander nodded as he reached to a coat rack and put on his Flying Tigers coat, "Do you need Selma?"

"I don't think so, so please take her with you so she can get out a little more…"

A prim female voice sounded quite amused, "I assure you, Willow, that while I don't really need to 'get out a little' I do appreciate the sentiment."

"You're welcome, Selma. Do you need a hug?"

Xander looked both amused and surprised at this statement, as well as Selma's, "No, not right now, I'm still processing the information and my reactions. I'd rather not risk a processor overload, however pleasant, until we know more."

"Okay, just let me know, okay?"

"Thank you, Willow," the AI replied almost emotionally, "Signing off."

"Wow, what was that about?" Xander asked quietly, "If it's not too personal to share?"

"Oh, it's just that whenever I switch, I can do it very quickly, and since we discovered that in holo-form I can 'touch' Selma, we're seeing how much overlap we may have exchanged since that night. And hugs are good, but we don't want to rush her."

"Willow, that's wonderful," he smiled, "Please give her a light one from me the next time you contact. Oh, well, I guess I better go."

"What are you doing, Cap'n," she said, smiling as she sorta caught her term of address for him, "Anything to do with Billy Fordham?"

"Maybe, I was thinking that since he doesn't really do anything else, we could put Angel on the payroll, have him gather information on the human criminals in this area, as well as the ones we're getting to know already. Maybe put him to use making contacts, running errands and doing research."

"I thought you hated him?"

"Hmm, since Darien's visit, it's complicated."

"How so?"

"Well, it used to be his vampire mom killed our brother Jesse," he spoke slightly sadly, causing Willow to understand a lot of things, "And when I had the hots for Buffy, the fact that she fell for a cryptic non-fighting corpse that was in his twenties when he died, didn't sit well. And vampire."

"And now?"

"I feel the same way, but I have a better perspective, but that doesn't mean we can't keep track of his almost every moment by employing him, and mutually benefit from it."

"What about Buffy?"

"I don't understand," he smiled with a slight head shake.

"She cares about him."

"Big yuck factor, but yeah, I know. I'm hoping this Ford guy turns out to be legit; a human boyfriend for her, and a vampire with a soul employee for us."

The knocking at the door at 3:30 in the afternoon greatly started Angel, and he was very surprised to see a well-dressed Xander Harris standing in wait.

"May I come in?" the young man asked without insulting nickname, so Angel politely gestured him in, "How have you been?"

"Um, fine, I guess, what brings you by so … courteously?"

"Business proposition, actually," the human smiled back, "something to pass the time for you as well." He explained the framework he'd considered, and honestly revealed his thinking except for the Buffy getting a human boyfriend hope of his, "So would you be interested? If you're sincere about the whole redemption thing, it's something you should consider."

"I'd work for you?"

"As odd as it is, yes, but only as a subcontractor as I outlined," Alexander pointed out, "You aren't the janitor or the sidekick."

Angel looked thoughtful and pensive at the same time, "Just who was it again you dressed as on Halloween that let you kill Spike?"

"A cop from two hundred years in the future, but your question reminds me…female, dark hair, dresses like it was the 19th century, you know her from your Angelus days, is in Sunnydale?"

"Oh," the vampire sighed with a hint of sadness; something about the calm and currently non-offending new Xander made it easier to discuss matters, "When I was evil…"

"I need to interrupt and ask a question, if I may…were you evil, were you just a soul sitting in the background watching it happen, or is the soul a separate person and you weren't there but you have the memories?"

"Um, the last one, but with the memories…it seems like me."

"Okay, thanks for making that clear, Angel," Xander smiled reassuringly, "but could you phrase it, 'when Angelus was running around' or something like that? Since it wasn't you actually doing what you were about to describe."

The soul in the vampire considered things for a minute, "Alright, when Angelus was in his heyday, he drove a woman about to take holy orders insane, and she was a seer. Then he turned her. Her name is Drusilla and she's the one you described. Why?"

"No soul, and if that's Drusilla she's probably going to figure out I dusted Spike. So we need to dust her before she goes after Willow or Buffy in retaliation."

"I, uh…"

"Feel so guilty you're not sure if you can?"

Angel nodded and sighed.

"Okay, how about you take care of the minions and give me a clear shot at her? If I hit, she dusts. You will fulfill your responsibility to end her, but I'll actually carry out the task. Fair enough?"

"Yeah," Angel nodded, surprised at the changed demeanor of the young man, who he noticed he could barely smell, but was still human, "I'd appreciate the help, but what about Buffy?"

"You mean about me, or about helping to dust Drusilla?"

"You…"

"I'm letting her figure it all out on her own rather than hit her with it; who knows if she'll freak or go into a funk," Xander gestured uncertainty, and then reached in and got out Selma, "Please just touch the card. Since I already have something that can disrupt the blood magic binding demon to host, and causes dusting, I was wondering what a test of skin and energy signatures might show. Don't worry, you're not the experiment, but I figure if we come up with something that might work on a vampire your age, it should take out minions easy enough."

"Um, okay," Angel replied reticently, touching the card, surprised when nothing happened.

"Thanks, it's all I had so I'll transfer the skin sample later." The young man noticed it was just after 4:00 already, "Oh hey, I have to go now. I'll be getting you a cell phone in the next couple of days, and maybe some other stuff that might help you gather information more surreptitiously than now."

"That police officer had quite the education, didn't he?" Angel asked with a smile.

"Yeah, he did actually, I can't say I mind to much, though," Alexander smiled back and offered his hand, "I'll talk to you soon."

After a second, Angel returned the handshake and walked Alexander Lambert to the door, "I'm in for now. If it doesn't work, we won't have lost anything."


	5. Chapter 5

_Xander Trax 5: Cop on the Hellmouth_   
_Author: Tohonomike __Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners...it will start off with the Joss/ME characters, and the Lorimar characters aren't mine either and any other characters or real-life folks are clearly not mine. NO money is involved. None are mine._

**This is dedicated to those of you who watched the show.**

**The Bronze, November 4th, 1997, 8:00PM**

Xander watches as Willow and Ford are playing pool. Ford sinks

his shot and sets up for another as Buffy arrives at the table.

"Ford! You made it."

"Wasn't hard to find."

Willow nodded agreement as she smiled evilly at the blonde slayer, "Buffy, Ford was just telling us about the ninth grade beauty

contest, and the, uh, swimsuit competition."

"Oh, my God, Ford, stop that! The more people you tell, the more

people I have to kill."

"You can't touch me, Summers. I know all your darkest secrets…"

The girls laugh as Xander gets up and heads for the bar, seeing Angel there, "Buff, Bill, Will, anyone want anything?"

Getting an order for two diets and a regular, he moves to greet Angel after placing the order.

"Hey, didn't expect to see you again so soon…" he addressed politely, then noticed the object of the other man's stare, "Ah, friend from her old school, and your first real assignment."

"Assignment?"

"Yeah, Giles said he wanted him checked out, something didn't sit right with him. And a computer check of records doesn't corroborate the boy's story. So I'd like you to follow him and see if he's a Slayer-level problem. Then—"

"Hi," Buffy said as she came up, "Who're you talking about?"

Alexander Lambert smiled a bit shyly at being surprised, "Business, Buff, I've been contracted in a detective capacity to run background checks and residency checks on at least one student, perhaps other individuals later. I was subcontracting out to Angel, here, as I can't manage everything on my own."

Buffy was overwhelmed by the educated and sincere and word use of one Xander Harris, er, Lambert. This gave Angel a chance to distract her.

"Hey! I was hoping you'd show."

"Hi Angel…You drink! I mean, drinks. Non-blood things."

"There's a lot about me you don't know."

"I believe that" she told him, as the bartender finally delivered the drinks and a basket of mixed appetizers and a coffee Xander had added to the order, "So, What'd you do last night?"

"Nothin'" he began then saw Xander's pointed look as he paid, then a nod, "I mostly stayed in and read. Then went out for a quick walk."

"Really? See anything interesting?"

Angel paused, then admitted with a sigh, "I saw Drusilla last night, Spike's sire and obsession."

"Oh?"

"Yeah…"

"Okay you two, we can talk about the Queen of Evil later," Xander chided, receiving an amused look from Buffy since Angel was being honest, and from Angel at the rescue, "Angel, the coffee's yours, Buff if you could grab the munchy tray…let's all head back to the table."

The three make it back to the table, Willow playing hostess, and making with introductions as Angel and Ford shake hands, Angel moving his coffee to his left hand, "Nice to meet you, Ford."

"So you're Buffy's boyfriend? You look older."

Angel, who'd already begun to recover and feel just the slightest bit welcome, by Xander of all people, had a response ready, "Well, I started out as her history tutor, then before we knew it..."

"What subject? I might need some help?"

"Really, well, I could probably help out in Latin, French, German, Spanish and Italian, then European History."

Xander smiled at the sources of Angel's knowledge, and decided to string along the boy who might be an enemy or future Scooby member.

"Hey Ford? That might work for ya if you need to take any of the other community college courses Angel might be good at."

"Yeah, uh, thanks. But I'm only enrolled at Sunnydale High at the moment," the young man seemed to consider, just a tiny bit haltingly to where only Xander's detective observational training and experience and Angel's being able to sense lies could tell.

"Hey, Angel?" Willow asked, "Do you wanna play?"

"Yeah, Willow, thanks, how 'bout for teams, me and Buffy, you and Ford, Xander and the munchies?"

"Yesssss!" Xander smiled, doing a mock-victory jig, "An automatic win."

The group smiled and proceeded to have a relatively normal evening.

**The Magic Box, November 5th, 1997, 6:40PM**

"Okay, that's the last test I can perform with the equipment we have so far," Willow apologized as she looked up from her small lab in what in another reality would have become the training room for Buffy. Selma smiled reassuringly at there.

"That's quite alright, Willow," the Artificial Intelligence told her, paused, "I believe our online queries, your test results and Mr. Angel's own observations…indicate that young Mr. Fordham is suffering from a form of cancer, and that his activities warrant further investigation. He has been listed as a runaway, and it mentions his condition. There is a ten thousand dollar reward for his safe return."

Alexander stepped into the backroom with Angel, remarking on the revelations, "Well, it looks like we'll be reuniting Ford with his family and doctors."

Angel agreed, but asked the secondary question that needed an answer, "So why is he making a beeline for Buffy? The Slayer at the Hellmouth."

"Hoping to find a vampire?" Willow suggested, "Too much Forever Knight and Kindred on television?"

"Angel, I'd like you to follow Ford, make sure he doesn't lead Buffy into any traps, or do something stupid. Willow, I'd like you to link up with Buffy, and stay close. Be careful, I don't want anything to happen to my Willow before we head to the Smithsonian this weekend."

Angel looked up, surprised, "DC?"

"Yeah, Darien left me with the impression that if he could send some extra gear and stuff back, he'd do it around four in the morning on ninth," Alexander smiled slightly, "and that means the closet there. Anyway, I'll be contacting the parents, and try getting them here by nine o'clock, alright?"

Everyone nodded, and got to work, Selma playing the financial markets, researching patents and licensing that wouldn't require a lot of test data and trials, establishing small lines of credit for remote betting, and finding the telephone numbers for the Fordhams and their lawyer.

The evening went pretty well, though Buffy picked up a vibe from the way both Willow and Angel seemed to be herding her and Ford toward the Magic Box so early in the evening. It was only a bit before nine! Coming around the corner, she felt her Hemery friend tense up at the cars out front, and noticed how firmly Angel seemed to place a hand on the young man's shoulder so he couldn't escape.

"Ford? What is it?" she asked in confusion, then looked to Angel, who did answer.

"Ford is a runaway, Buffy, and has cancer, so we called his parents so he won't throw his life away," the vampire responded, then turned to Ford, "We wouldn't want something he does to come back and bite him, would we?"

"You knew?" the boy responded, "How?"

"Detective work. You had enough holes in your story that it wasn't really possible to miss." Angel paused, "If you were really here to go to school and reacquaint with a friend that just so happened to be here, you'd have actually registered and gone to classes. And a bunch of idiots wouldn't have started a vampire themed night club the same weekend you showed up. It also helps to not greet them all like old friends."

The group walked in, Ford's mother rushing over in concern, which preempted any reply from the young boy. Buffy looked into the shop to where Xander was shaking hands with Ford's father and a suited man that looked like an attorney. And what looked like a check in his hands. As the LA contingent left, Buffy with a hurt look walked over to Xander, noticing Giles next to him.

"Giles? What are you doing here with Xander? Are you part of whatever this is?"

"Buffy, I-I'm not working for Alexander, but am grateful he may well have saved your life from a young man whose real plans we may never plum. Be that as it may, the boy, Ford, should be with his family and receiving medical treatment, not racing to the Hellmouth and the Slayer."

"Oh. Um, I'm sorry I guess…"

"I-It's quite alright to feel like those around you are being overprotective of you, but remember, we're looking out for you because we care." He patted his slayer softly on her shoulder, "Now, how about a group patrol and we call it an early night, shall we?"


	6. Chapter 6

_Xander Trax 6: Cop on the Hellmouth_ _Author: Tohonomike __Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners...it will start off with the Joss/ME characters, and the Lorimar characters aren't mine either and any other characters or real-life folks are clearly not mine. NO money is involved. None are mine._

**This is dedicated to those of you who watched the show.**

**The Smithsonian Institute, November 9th, 1997, 5:30AM EST**

Xander smiled as he reached the just-arriving Willow in a taxi. The young man tossed his heavily-outfitted backpack and duffle into the trunk and got in back.

"Where to?" asked the cabby, not particularly suspicious of anything.

"Airport, please," Alexander Lambert replied, smiling at his Willow. They quietly rode the short trip to the airport, where an eight o'clock direct flight to Los Angeles would carry them almost home in no time.

Getting out of the car, the two smiled as they reentered the place almost twenty hours after arriving; they'd crammed a whole day of tourist activities and ducking over to buy expensive coffee from vendor stands. Willow's eyes smiled even when she wasn't, and Alexander knew deep inside the feeling of contentment of having made her happy. She'd had her hair braided back and long, and had increased her wardrobe enough to where at worst she'd only look nice, and at best Xander's breath was taken away.

"So what did he send you," she smiled, "other than the obvious camping gear?"

"You mean that isn't enough?" he smarted back, then when he was sure they weren't being listened to, "civilian body armor, a bunch of databases, parts for powered and unpowered exoskeletons used by their military and heavy police units, and holographic equipment of some kind as well as parts I haven't had the time to research. I think a few more 'car alarms' are also in here."

"Cool, now you can start training me so I can back you up if necessary," Willow considered seriously, "especially the Mash-Ti stuff."

"Sounds like a good plan," Xander agreed with a small but happy smile, "and with all of the extra time we have by owning the shop, we can practice whenever we're not keeping up with the business or on a case."

"So, did Darien send you a letter or anything?"

"Yeah, he did, it covered a lot of what it had meant to be a cop, to live in and appreciate our time. He sends you his best and hopes you remember him. He was a good man, Willow, one I'm glad to have crossed paths with…even if my vocabulary is much improved."

They shared a smile and a laugh as they tagged the new baggage and checked it in at the counter. Though early in the morning, they found a 'Roy Rogers' franchise open so they scrounged a breakfast feast of sorts, and continued to just talk about Sunnydale, what they might do to make a difference, and how they could use their skills to make a good life. Instead of a game of 'anywhere but here' it was a good 'can do' planning session, then as they boarded the plane, the two happily quieted and prepared to nap during their flight.

**November 9th, 1997, 9:30 AM PST**

The two young people drove back into town and pulled to Willow's house to find her parents were actually at home for a change.

"Wanna come in and say hi or something?" the red head asked, curling her hair behind her ear as she looked over at him, "It might not hurt and all, with all the changes in less than a week…show them the grown up happy us?"

"Alright," he smiled at her, looking into her eyes as he parked the car, "let's go meet the 'rents."

"That 'lingo' so doesn't work with the new and improved you…" she laughed as they alighted and headed in.

**November 9th, 1997, High Noon**

The young entrepreneurial couple entered their store just as it was due to open; by unspoken agreement Alexander would fully examine and test the materiel while his redhead girlfriend would tend to the customers.

The late breakfast at Willow's folks had actually gone quite well; in their own way the two parental figures had apparently concluded that it was their intelligent raising of Willow that had led their daughter to such an amazing start into adult life. Noticing the respectable attire of Alexander, whom they hadn't actually seen in some time, had definitely reassured them; gone was the lovable teen and in his place a solid young man with his head on his shoulders, and the maturity to court their little girl.

Alexander carefully unpacked, laying the contents across the floor of the back room so he could take in the entirety of his new inventory. He brought Selma out, and she thoroughly scanned everything to identify, assimilate or warn as the case might be.

Darien had sent back a dozen 'car alarm remotes on key chains,' four sets of full late 22nd century body armor, four jumpsuits that doubled as environmental and anti-ballistic protection, two exoskeletons-crash frames with power units as well as hydraulics, a stack of picture frames which contained a surprisingly large number of informational databases regarding real estate, police and forensics technology, criminal databases, business and tax records, and news media reports, all of which in great detail went as far ahead as 2020. To his great surprise, Xander also noted a wide variety of items his future-cop memories told him were the tools of the trade hidden as much as possible in common 1997 forms. The materials were of future production, meaning stronger and lighter at the same time, with greater durability and nearly invisible to current detection devices.

"Wow, Selma, it looks like Darien really thought this out; I didn't really know if he'd exist anymore."

The AI noted the suppressed emotion, and nodded in empathy, "I understand Captain, but if Ethan Rayne of this 'real time' was able to be transported into the future, then the appropriate future would have to exist to receive him."

"Hmm, point taken…but still, it's good to know Darien's safe, you know?"

"Indeed Captain Alexander, indeed."

**SHS Library, November 13th, 1997**

"W-well, it does look like you're outfitted quite nicely," the Watcher remarked as the two teens explained their recent acquisitions. Thankfully, with them present and discussing things with him, Buffy's painfully loud techno aerobic music was kept relatively low for once. He was about to continue, when a sudden pounding on the door began.

Alexander rose and moved to the door, 'door alarm' in hand as he unlocked it and let in a man in a suit races in followed by a female corpse with the expected glowing eyes. Alexander trips the corpse and fires a heavy stun into it, not knowing exactly who or what his target was in that blink of an eye.

"Rupert!" the man called out, "It's Eyghon!"

"Good Lord! Phillip! Who? Dear Lord…is that…Deirdre?"

Buffy moved forward, ready to slice the corpse into pieces when Xander stayed her hand, "Buff, it's out for now, maybe Rupert has a better way to get rid of this thing that doesn't involve you and the mop."

"Why would I have to do clean up?"

"Well, you make a mess, and Rupert has guests, so…"

"Xander…that's so unfair…Willow, tell him it's unfair…" she mock pouted, causing her two recently-improved friends to smile fondly and laugh with her as Giles began catching up with 'Phillip.' They watched as the two men headed for the office.

"We're on the clock here, Giles, two hours minimum, if you don't discuss this in front of us; you already knew the deceased and the one running from him. Out here, I'll cut you a break, free for information."

"Two hours, then, Xander, but be careful not to let it get away."

The teens shrugged, Xander grabbing a couple of staves; he and Buffy proceeded to push the body behind the counter where it was less likely to be noticed if some other person came into the library.

About twenty minutes later, the two men came out of the office and walked over to the table, where Willow handed Giles a tentative bill for services.

Giles grimaced, but a still-jumpy Phillip nodded encouragingly at his old chum. Giles sighed and addressed his charges, handing the bill back to Willow, "Information it is, then…" and proceeded to tell them about the demon and the bad choices of his youth in that regard.

Alexander looked over to the counter, hearing movement, "So would this thing be able to do anything to you if removed the tattoos?"

"Yeah Giles," Buffy agreed, "Pay a couple hundred for some laser removal surgery?"

"Hmm, that might keep it from returning," Giles replied as Xander stunned it again, "But how to dispose of the demon itself?"

"Immersion in holy water?" Xander suggested, "If it's stuck surrounded with holy water before it can leap out, maybe it would kill the demon like dusting a vampire?"

Phillip nodded, "Quite a good idea, but where would we find that much holy water this time of night?"

Willow and Xander smiled at each other, and both replied as she handed the bill back to Giles, "we have it at the shop."

"Good Lord, why so much?" Giles asked, smiling wanly as he accepted the billing once more, "That's …"

"Enterprising of us, isn't it?" Xander finished for him with an amused look, "And we have it hooked into a misting and fire sprinkler system inside and on the exterior of the place; it'll keep the vampires out unless we want 'em there. Hmm, speaking of vamps…"

Alexander removed his cell phone and hit speed dial, "Angel? Can you drive over to the library? We have a demon-possessed corpse that needs moving to the store? Eyghon or something… okay, thanks."

Buffy gave Xander a look, "You're having Angel take the risks?"

"He's already dead, or undead, Buff. He's the least likely to have a problem actually touching and moving the thing. And he gets paid like any other subcontractor; we're not forcing him."

"Oh yeah…"

Twenty minutes later, Angel walked in, having parked close to the doors. He smiled at Buffy, then nodded as he approached his employers, "What do we have?"

"Eyghon's in back of the counter; drive it to the back door of the shop and we'll open it for you. We'll just have you set it on the edge of a tank of holy water we'll fill as you get there; we'll push it in and see if it ends this whole thing."

"Makes sense," the vampire replied, then put on gloves, noting the raised brows, "I don't want to get splashed when I get there…in case I forget."

They nodded at the sensible action as he reached behind the counter, where as he grabbed the body, it began to animate and thrash about. Angel grabbed its neck as Buffy raced over with her sword, stabbing Eyghon in hopes of killing or distracting; instead the body turned to goo as Angel began thrashing around, the back of his hand smacking the blonde slayer in the back of the head and rendering her unconscious. Xander waited to see what was happening, until suddenly, the form of Eyghon leapt out of Angel and back behind the counter.

"What the devil is happening!" Giles called out as he approached, seeing his slayer's eyes twitch and a sneer on her face as she from on her back threw herself up and onto her feet..

"Well Ripper, it looks like I'll have to take some of your friends from you before I take you and Philip," the possessed Slayer purred, lashing with a dropped staff toward Xander, who dodged it.

And into the chest of Angel, who didn't, and looked saddened and resigned as he dusted at the hands of his love.

Alexander fired heavy stun into the Slayer, who staggered, Giles moving in and striking the possessed girl on the head, finishing the task.

"Quick!" Phillip exclaimed, "Get her to that holy water you were talking about, and we might still save her Rupert!"

The men wrestled the unmoving Buffy to Angel's car, keys still in the ignition, as a sad and crying Willow swept Angel's ashes into an empty coffee can for later. The somber group made good time to the shop, and they tossed the blonde girl in before she could regain consciousness. Eyghon thrashed, sputtered, and died a dusty water-logged death as the strange mixture of magics, a pure possessing demon, residual chaos in the shop, and the Slayer Essence, thought to have been demonic warped to a holy cause, in the vicinity of a Hellmouth, brought an again-drowning Buffy to fall off the radar of existence for just a few seconds. And while in Boston, a girl suddenly found the strength to fend off the unwanted advances of some bikers that had taken a fancy to the recent runaway, a stunned and distraught Buffy realized that Angel had died by her hand.


	7. Chapter 7

_Xander Trax 7: Cop on the Hellmouth_ _Author: Tohonomike __Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners...it will start off with the Joss/ME characters, and the Lorimar characters aren't mine either and any other characters or real-life folks are clearly not mine. NO money is involved. None are mine._

**This is dedicated to those of you who watched the show.**

Buffy stayed over at Willow's that night; explaining to Joyce the reasons behind her daughter's shattered emotional state was just not in the cards yet. Buffy was inconsolable, weeping and sobbing in Enlightenment-era English and French; apparently there were strong undercurrents remaining from Halloween.

Alexander accompanied Phillip and Rupert back to the Library, a much more somber group than before. Xander himself felt neutral, but as he'd made the effort to get along with Angel, and had gotten over Buffy, he found he no longer hated the vampire.

"Selma?" he asked as the two older men went to the office, "I'd like you to search the Net for necromantic raisings, and if any mages out there seem to be able to carry it out."

"Are you serious, Captain? Even if I do find something?"

"Right now, it's just research, Selma, particularly as I'm afraid Buffy might seek such means if she hears of it."

"Do you think she might, Alexander?"

"No, but I want to head off such a prospect until we've investigated it first. If you actually locate such individuals or organizations, see if they have any obvious contacts or from the databases sent back, see if in the other world they existed as well."

A few minutes later, as Selma made use of the school's internet capability, Alexander joined Rupert and Phillip in discussing the Eyghon event and to some extent possessions and demonology in general. Phillip, it seemed, might need to find work as Eyghon had demolished his last place of employment. Giles had vouched for the man's general magical knowledge and that he'd graduated from the Watcher's academy. Alexander told the man to clear his paperwork and he'd become the manager/adult front man for the businesses.

A very small projection of Selma waved to get this attention an hour later, and so he picked up the credit card and excused himself to head back to the store. He let himself in and hung up his trademark jacket on a coat rack.

"Okay, Selma, what do we have?"

"Alexander, we seem to have three prospects, but the one in Europe and another is somehow involved with the American military; neither seemed to be exactly that for which you intended, so I did not attempt to breach their security systems further."

"The third?"

"Ah, in Los Angeles it turns out there is a quite unsavory law firm that is heavily involved with the demonic, criminal and, dare I say, Evil, aspects of this civilization. I was able to avoid their security—they seem to rely on detecting magic or organic aura residue from what I detected, and as I am neither, I walked around them and found that one of their VIP files involves a Necromancer named Hainsley. He himself seems to eschew an externally-linked network so sadly I was unable to pursue this further."

"Did the law firm have anything as to successful raisings?"

"Indeed, but it would have to be something of a challenge, or he'd simply refuse; otherwise vast sums in the eight figures would be necessary to overcome his distaste for interrupting what he considers enjoyable work."

"Hmm, how long will our investments take us to where it wouldn't interfere to any extent?"

"Hmm, at the current rate, next December would fill those strictures, Captain Alexander, though as early as February if I were to restart investments."

"No, let's not do that, he wasn't important to me, and a soul should be allowed to rest in the next life. In three months Buffy will be finally starting to put it all behind her, so let her have some closure. And Selma? I want a complete lock-out of this research from Willow, and you will not research it for her. What she can't access, she cannot be forced to divulge to Buffy."

"Are you going to tell Willow this?"

"In a day or so if she doesn't bring it up with me. Hopefully it'll all pass on its own."

"Very well, Captain."

Three days later, the complete renovation of the buildings began, Alexander undertaking as much of the project himself as he could manage. They'd held a small ceremony for Liam 'Angel' O'Rourke, though they'd changed his year of birth to 1970 to reflect the number of human years he'd lived. With the 'history tutor' dead, Joyce hadn't had as much of a problem with him, so Buffy at least didn't have to experience stress at home atop of the loss of her boyfriend.

Joyce had been happy and amazed at the entrepreneurial couple that were so serious and were still good friends of her daughter boded well in her opinion for Buffy's future.

Over the next week, as Buffy began to recover, rumors of Drusilla began to find their way back to the slayer and her friends; one was through a pay-for-confirmed information Alexander had arranged one day when he'd intercepted the proprietor of the Alibi Room on his back dock during daylight hours. They'd established a general fee scale and shook hands on it, Willy either making a phone call, or other contact, and Alexander arranging the funds to be deposited into an account under a false name set up for Willy just for this purpose, in Los Angeles.

Things were looking up; a few nests were spotted and the plan was to eliminate them on the weekend. Xander and Willow had started wearing 'sunglasses' even at night that allowed them to pick up on the vampire's lack of heat pretty quickly, and had sold to Giles two of his dozen pairs for five hundred each, charged to the Council

With training over, the Gang had arrived as the Bronze was opening, with the intent of Xander and Willow staking out the place after Buffy, Jenny and Giles left on patrol.

Xander had just offered Giles his services at learning Mash-Ti, an amalgamated martial art in which he'd already begun to train Willow. Giles had raised an eyebrow, asked what the fee would be, and Alexander after consideration suggested the rather low fifty dollars an hour each, two hours a day, six days a week, as fair; it should get her as the Slayer to his own skill level in only five or six months. And both Giles and Phillip would also be expected to learn so they eventually could pass on their capability to others. Jenny would be free as she was now a part-time employee of Willow and Xander's, helping them understanding her magic with particular police, private detective and technology applications as emphasis.

"I say, Xander, what are the advantages over the standard martial arts as we know them now?" Giles asked as the girls went for drinks.

"Two hundred years of military and police focus on unarmed combat and mental discipline based on the martial arts of today, with the different levels of subduing, incapacitating and termination included. If Buffy finds herself in a mixed group, with the proper internalized training, I'm hoping her slayer instincts would let her know which level to use against different opponents. Anyone else would right off a human allied with vampires, but after downloading the Watchers Council mainframe last weekend and looking through some of the summations, I want to avoid Buffy having an accident that would force me to turnover the Watchers Council records to the world media and governments. A firefight casualty shouldn't lead to a fake trial and execution."

Giles, Phillip and Jenny stared at the young man in shocked disbelief, Buffy's Watcher responding first, "You whacked the Council computers?"

"No Giles, I had Willow hack the system," Xander laughed lightly, "I won't contemplate the possible meanings of the other word."

The Watcher blushed, but looked pointedly, so Alexander continued, "Anyway, we were curious as to how secure the systems were. And don't worry, afterwards, Willow downloaded and overwrote their system with an intelligent one, and even sent to a man named Travers the appropriate documentation."

Jenny wondered as she finally stopped laughing, "So…how much was on the mainframe?"

Willow walked up with beverages as Buffy brought a mix of appetizers, "Actually from what I could tell, about thirty percent of their catalogued materials, including spell books and the like. I also have a list of what isn't in the system in case we ever need to ask."

Jenny shook her head, "Now they probably won't add anything more, and knowing Rupert's employers, they'll probably erase the system and maybe in a few years start again. Anything else?"

"About two hundred and fifty files on potential slayers and the Council staff assigned to keep track or train them."

Giles looked seriously at the group, and without stuttering, "On that, I must insist we delete that information, or otherwise secure it so none shall gain access."

Xander nodded in agreement, "Already done, Giles, it is kept solely on Selma herself, not on regular media. Though next summer, Willow and I are seriously considering opening an Academy of sorts, aimed at whatever the main demographics are of potential slayers, grades 5-12, for those the Council hasn't accessed yet."

Buffy winced, "a girl's school…how…boring?"

Willow smiled, "we'd probably open it to boys as well, and since it would be on a scholarship basis, we'd pick the people we wanted. So far I'm voting for those most likely to become the next group of Darien Lamberts or the American versions of Giles."

Giles smiled slightly, as did Xander, both nodding to her in appreciation of her valuation of them in a positive light.

Buffy smiled, "Any chance of them all being good-looking?"

"That goes with the territory, and who knows? The career day stuff might show you should be a teacher at our school…"

"Career day? What's the point?" Buffy replied, rolling her eyes, "I'm the Slayer, and that means I don't get to go to college or have a career?"

"How about law enforcement, Buffy?" Giles suggested, causing Buffy to wince at the lack of glamour. Alexander weighed in favorably.

"Actually, if you could credential yourself extremely well, Buffy, the Slayer that might also be night-shift Captain or even Chief of Police in Sunnydale would be a powerful achievement for any hero, even the Watchers shouldn't complain too loudly. And besides, you'd make any uniform look good."

He smirked after the last statement, Buffy catching it and the hero, as Willow mock-glared at her currently-flirty boyfriend. Xander mock-backpedaled, "But only if you dyed your hair the same color as Willow's or it just wouldn't work."

No one caught the slight glazed look of consideration Willow gave Buffy at that statement, the currently-blonde asking, "Hero?"

"Yeah, Buff, you have to remember that while you've wanted a normal life, most people want the one you have right now…maybe a few more perks, but they want to be the one who saves the world, fights the demons."

"Do you really think that?"

"Yeah, though I admit I'm usually thinking about the business, sex, current investments, sex, the school we might start setting up next year, what certain unnamed females that could hurt me badly look like with few if any clothes, money, food, Buffy's a hero…"

The group smiled, and the ladies shook mock-fists at him in jest, but Buffy and Willow both seemed to be thinking about things, so Xander turned the conversation back to martial arts training.


	8. Chapter 8

_Xander Trax 8: Cop on the Hellmouth_ _Author: Tohonomike __Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners...it will start off with the Joss/ME characters, and the Lorimar characters aren't mine either and any other characters or real-life folks are clearly not mine. NO money is involved. None are mine._

**This is dedicated to those of you who watched the show.**

Six months had passed since Angel's demise, and slowly but surely Buffy moved on with her life; Willow and Alexander had given her part-time work, first as a general construction laborer and then as a retail clerk.

Joyce was delighted at the responsible turn in the young woman's life, not yet told by her daughter of the Slayer Destiny that dominated life. A big shock was the immediate uncovering of Ted as a robot of sorts, but they'd covered it up by Selma reprogramming it to bid Joyce a fond farewell before seeming to relocate across country for a new job.

After giving his previous victims a decent burial, Willow and Xander had shocked the other Scooby members by ordering more parts and when using new technology were able to get six Ted-bots up and running, though with different voices, faces and a definite lack of interest in relationships.

And at Christmas, at some cost and effort, they surprised Selma by presenting to her a robotic body in her image into which they could place her credit card self and provided her with a physical avatar. The woman was delighted, and was soon established as the business manager of the enterprise. As a joke on Giles, the other robots also had British accents, as well as fairly detailed but hard to verify backgrounds.

Soon, the young couple was able to ease up on the long hours, and with the new robots available after hours, Buffy soon had support to take out nests, conduct small-scale tactical sweeps and make use of rarely used hunting instincts of the Slayer. Giles himself was delighted at the ability to expand her training, as it also would prove less debilitating to his body, and the group as a whole became quite proficient in Mosh-Ti, the futurist martial arts blend that served Darien so well in police work of 2193.

Drusilla seemed content to rebuild her strength and make a name for herself in Cleveland; apparently there was a lesser Hellmouth there, and after careful sifting of Watcher files, the existence of Kendra came to light.

That Slayer proved quite successful; apparently Drusilla had begun to collect parts of a nasty demon called the Judge; since no weapon forged by man could end the beastie, Kendra lit a gas line and the falling four-story building not only crushed, but squished and mushed and reduced to far littler parts that danger. Drusilla, vowing vengeance, somehow escaped and continued to make life difficult.

But toward the end of April, Watcher Samuel Zabuto communicated to Giles that Slayer Kendra had begun to have Slayer dreams of Drusilla and a small army of vampires sweeping into Sunnydale and somehow sucking the world into Hell itself. As Buffy had reported a few dreams of great uneasiness, but nothing definitive, Giles suggested that the Cleveland contingent come to Sunnydale as a precaution.

In the six months following Angel's unexpected demise, the circle of friends in the know increased, Amy Madison and then Jonathan Levinson being identified and recruited as apprentices to the Watcher and the revealed-Romany. It seemed better to guide and train a pair of magic-users growing up on a Hellmouth, rather than later find out they'd gone 'Dark Side.'

Alexander smiled as he recollected Willow's unwilling inclusion into the magician group:

"But Xander, I have so much work to do already…'

"Willow, I'm not asking you to use it all the time…just attend the sessions so we understand it better. Who knows, you might find you like it."

"Alright, Mister, but that means you need to show me a lot more affection so I don't start thinking I'm unattractive, ya know, cause of warts and all."

"You know, don't ever stop being my Willow…"


	9. Chapter 9

_Xander Trax 9: Cop on the Hellmouth_ _Author: Tohonomike __Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners...it will start off with the Joss/ME characters, and the Lorimar characters aren't mine either and any other characters or real-life folks are clearly not mine. NO money is involved. None are mine._

**This is dedicated to those of you who watched the show.**

**May 10th, 1998**

Xander smiled in contentment as he finished getting dressed, realizing that only the eventual completion of the School and Camp remained of his and Willow's interim plans.

The new ISP, small publishing company, security equipment and services firm had been up and running since the beginning of May, and the barely-reputable variations of businesses to take advantage of the looting of vampire nests had just broken even with the necessary capitalization costs for legitimizing their activities. Between Willow, Selma, and Jenny Calendar, they'd managed to piece together bits and pieces of struggling or defunct companies along this section of coast, and turn them around financially into going concerns, and had even bought the Oxnard, Santa Barbara and Sunnydale daily newspapers as of last week.

Strange thing, they'd run into a lot of little problems with the Mayor's Office, allegedly that the seeming 'regionalization' might result in Sunnydale being just like everyone else. He'd publicly assured everyone that he hoped to consolidate production expenses in order to ensure all three news organizations could continue. Further, the young entrepreneur had told them that each would remain independent, with very few changes, the largest being that as the costs of the three college publications in the three cities were threatening to close their highly-considered, but slightly expensive journalism programs.

He'd been questioned about the tendency of the students to be a bit raucous, and he responded that he'd met with the college presidents to where they'd fund maintain the single faculty position that from the business side would be considered 'section editor' whose main responsibility other than a better status quo, would be to ensure the students realized that they were in a real newspaper that professional journalism, not particular causes of the moment. Also, Xander told the radio, television and news reporters that showed up, he hoped to work out similar 'apprenticeships' between his businesses and any flagging programs of worth at the educational institutions.

"Selma?" Xander called out as he came down from the apartment upstairs into the coffee shop downstairs that would open in another ten minutes.

"Yes Captain," the currently-in-robot-form AI responded as she placed his usual small breakfast in front of him with the 'paper' and looked over the daybreak report that Selma put together from all of their information sources, jokingly called by the group, the Lambert Letter. "And if I might ask, when did we get a cat?"

"A cat? I don't know, you better ask Willow."

"Ask me what?" the mentioned redhead replied as she came down from her own adjacent apartment. They'd decided in spite of being emancipated, to wait until they were going together for a year before officially shacking up, even if they usually fell asleep together from work, or watching movies or such.

"When'd you get us a cat?"

"Me?" she said, picking up and petting the darker-colored tabby-patterned Manx cat. "He's a nice kitty…yes he is…yes he is…"

"Willow, if you want to keep the broody-looking cat as a pet, that's fine. But please don't expect me to clean up after him. Come to think of it, he does have a big spacing between the ears—you should call him Angel."

Willow chuckled, then looked at the cat, "How would you like that Angel?"

The cat seemed to meow happily and began to purr.

"Oh," Xander brought up as he glanced over some more information on the report, "You better go get him his shots and get him fixed—"

"Roooowr…" the cat indignantly muttered at Xander and glared, causing the three humanoids a moment of pause. Xander looked at the cat. "Well you at least need your shots."

The cat seemed to think about it and went back to demanding petting from Willow, who smiled and obliged.

"I guess we better call him Angel; the two of you seem to be getting along the same."

"Hmm, that reminds me…Selma, if none of us let him in…where did you find him?"

"He was sitting next to the printer this morning. I'm running a diagnostic now…as I don't remember sending a print command."

"You better check the date, this one's for tomorrow," he commented as he turned a page, "And we'll need to talk to some of our people. This has me doing things I haven't done yet."

A low whine more suited to a canine came from the cat as it jumped up on the counter and padded over to sit on his paper. It looked Xander in the eyes, then picked up a paw and seemed to tap the date.

"I think it's trying to tell you something, Xan," Willow considered. The cat looked at Willow and purred. It then moved off of the report, waved the paw in a circle at the pile of papers, and tapped the date again. Willow decided to clear things up. "Okay, Angel, four meows if you understand us."

The cat meowed four times. The three humanoids looked at each other, not quite sure how to proceed. Selma thought just a little faster.

"There's a correlation between the report and the date?"

The cat purred but stayed where it was.

"It's tomorrow's date…"

The cat started purring before she could continue.

"It's…tomorrow's report."

The cat moved over and began to happily purr and rub up against the 'woman.'

Xander picked up the report, and looked at it again. He looked at the cat, which moved halfway towards him.

"So is this a one-shot deal?"

The cat moved its head in a negative fashion.

"What's the catch?"

The cat picked up a paw and seemed to point at him.

"Um, I'm the only one who can use the information?"

The cat seemed to pause, then nodded.

"What are the limits on this?"

The cat moved to the nearby register, pointed at it, and shook its head.

"I can't use it to make money."

The cat nodded.

"Um, what if a demon business comes along and does a hostile takeover? Can I use the information to do good first even if it ends up making me money?"

The cat looked at the ceiling, then at Xander, and nodded very slowly and gravely.

"So I can make money, but only if the primary reason is to take care of bad stuff showing up in this paper or life-saving?"

The cat nodded more.

"Did you use to be a person?"

The cat didn't move.

"Not allowed to tell?"

Big nod.

"Okay…new rules. No being around the women when they're naked or very scantily clad. And no following into bedrooms. No getting 'inter-species weird' or I will get you fixed. Just like I'd expect any other guy around here to be a gentleman. Fair enough?"

The cat nodded.

"Do you hit the printer button every morning to get this mystical version to pop out?"

The cat nodded.

"If something happens to you, do the papers stop if we don't prevent it by the next day?"

Another nod.

"Do you stick around all day as opposed to disappearing into the ether?"

Another nod.

"Important question: do you eat cat food?"

The cat looked unimpressed, perhaps even dour.

"Selma, if we feed the cat some of what we eat, can you do the vitamin thing to keep him healthy?"

"Indeed I can."

"That work for you…Angel?"

Another nod.

"If a demon or vampire comes in, would you be able to tell from smell or whatever?"

A pause, then a nod.

"Depends on what kind?"

A nod.

"If you get extra-friendly with other cats, would that result in the first real bunch of intelligent cats?"

A blank and almost annoyed look.

"One more rule … You're the mouser around here. That's your chore other than meowing about demons in here."

The cat nodded.

"Okay. We'll give this a try for a while and see. Deal?" he held out his hand to the cat, which lifted his paw and they shook on it. "Cool."

Alexander Lambert smiled at Selma, kissed his fiancée and headed out with the report to see what would come of this 'early edition' of the Lambert Letter.


	10. Chapter 10

_Xander Trax 10: Cop on the Hellmouth_ _Author: Tohonomike __Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners...it will start off with the Joss/ME characters, and the Lorimar characters aren't mine either and any other characters or real-life folks are clearly not mine. NO money is involved. None are mine._

**This is dedicated to those of you who watched the show.**

**Sunday, May 10th, 1998 – The First Day of Fumbling – 11 AM**

"Well, that didn't exactly go as planned," Alexander Lambert considered as he sat down and Willow wandered over. "But I think I'm starting to get the hang of this."

"Really?" she inquired as he stole a sip of her mocha. She glared at him, "No chocolate thievery, Mister. So what did you change?"

"Um, since it's still morning, but I prevented two hit and runs reported by the police, being daylight and all. The 'Letter' simply adjusted itself to not include 'em. I also removed a board with nails from the road and watched as a report of a tire blow out and accident disappeared."

"You are the bravest man I've ever met," Willow deadpanned and grabbed her coffee back. Xander rolled his eyes.

"I'm just trying this out ad seeing how it all works," he chuckled lightly. "Some of the things involving rescues, police calls and eventual arrivals, morgue receipts, that sort of thing, I can't really do anything about until night. If only we had a way of being able to set up cameras all over town and get pictures of this stuff."

"We could, but it would be expensive, and we'd have to act quickly."

"Oh?"

"There's a bid to replace the current traffic light system with one that is better timed, and has emergency services capability included. The bid's due next Thursday, and I've been debating if we wanted to get involved. Not much margin."

"So how noticeable would cameras be?"

"Well, we could put in an obvious bid with them, then send a duplicate record back to us, and a bid without. Since the EMS (emergency services) stuff is radio and cable based, we could set up some sort of wireless webcam somewhere and just use the traffic cabling infrastructure to get signals back."

"So why haven't we put in a bid? Sounds like our security firm could handle it."

"Yeah, but it's really been hectic, and something like this kinda falls into the cracks. But Selma and I spent a few minutes after opening thinking of ways to expand the already-large amounts information gathered and put into the report without it becoming too big to use. By filtering out the 'unrelated' report stuff, it isn't a problem."

Giles walked in the front door with Jenny and Buffy. They all exchanged greetings, and beverages were ordered. Selma moseyed back to join the discussion. The three who had just entered were floored with Xander's new responsibility.

"Good Lord, Alexander," Giles inhaled and shook his head while exhaling, "I, I know that you are the center of this, but I can't see any reason why we can't consider our different patrol options as part of the report, with projected times a-and such."

Buffy caught on immediately, "Oh, so I can do the one that keeps me alive and lets me dust the most vamps. I might even be able to get a good night's sleep."

Giles smiled, "And if we have you turn in your report before you turn in, it will add more detail to what comes out of this, um, Letter."

Buffy mock-pouted, but looking around at the tech stuff around even the coffee shop, had an idea.

"Hey, can I get a camera and recorder thingy? That way you guys get the 4-1-1 but all I have to do is hand it in."

Everyone exchanged glances, Jenny answering, "That's actually a great idea, Buffy. And if we could add infrared to it, the report could include vamps missed."

Willow nodded, "And if we all wore them, even if not on patrol, maybe we could expand our capabilities. Giles, I don't suppose the Watchers would be willing to sell us information on human-looking demons? Stuff like general temperatures and stuff. I don't remember too much on that, though some had room temperature like vampires."

"Hmm, if you're willing to pay, at the very least they might provide accurate enough guesses, at least a range. And I daresay, it would make Buffy's patrols so efficient that she might even be able to schedule rotating nights off during the school year."

"I'm all over that, Giles," the blonde slayer assured him, "Xander? Wills? Do the camera thingies do buildings too?"

"What do you mean, Buffy?" Willow responded, "Do you mean see inside buildings?"

"Yeah, like those spy movies you and Xander have started to watch the last few months. You can see the, um, heat shadows? Anyway, those. If there's people in trouble or movement and no heat…we know where the vamps are in the day."

Giles smiled at his slayer-surrogate daughter, "Excellent thinking, Buffy. I, I don't know if we're really prepared for assaulting the enemy when they're in their lairs, but it might provide us with an even better opportunity of ambush."

Alexander and Willow smiled as their eyes met; in the last few months their blonde friend had slowly let her natural hair color show itself, choosing a style that streaked blonde with brunette, and so they could only make 'half-blonde' jokes. But she'd also during the course of the expanded group and training allowed herself to apply her functional but underused intelligence openly, and while no Willow, she'd in spite of Slaying moved to the bottom of the honor roll and when around her friends was trying to become passing-fluent in French, Spanish and Latin.

Giles had joked he'd wish she'd add English to her efforts—but after the next slightly rougher training session had wisely left the jokes to the younger people. And Buffy still enjoyed mangling the language in Old-Xanderesque ways just to keep him on his toes.

Xander turned to Selma as the others allowed themselves to talk about more of the same, especially as between the intellectual aspects for most of them, the Slayer in Buffy enjoyed tactical planning to 'beat the vamps twice' by beating them before she even got to the hitting part.

"What do you think, Selma?"

"All are excellent ideas, Captain, but I'd suggest for building-level intelligence you customize an RV or even two. Properly equipped, and large enough power capacities onboard, we could use a wide array, if you'll forgive the pun, of options to determine hostile locations. For that matter, in the unlikely situation of finding human-only crime, we could anonymously report it to police officers known for their tendency to carry out their duty."

Xander Lambert nodded in appreciation of the developing plan. "What we lack is manpower with the training and firepower. But we'll do what we can, maybe raid rather than invade the larger concentrations. Cause them to disperse into smaller groups and then attack the isolated numbers."

"I'm liking the plan, Xan," Buffy called over, Slayer hearing showing itself better than ever. "Is there any hope of getting any of this going before Drusilla shows up?"

"We'll try, Buffy," he smiled at his friend who had grown up so much since Halloween but still remained herself at heart. He watched as a certain broody cat wandered in and then meowed at Buffy, wanting to be petted.


	11. Chapter 11

_Xander Trax 11: Cop on the Hellmouth_ _Author: Tohonomike __Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners...it will start off with the Joss/ME characters, and the Lorimar characters aren't mine either and any other characters or real-life folks are clearly not mine. NO money is involved. None are mine._

**This is dedicated to those of you who watched the show.**

**Tuesday, May 12th, 1998 – Getting the Hang of It**

"Well, at least they let us know they're interested in us for future contracts," Alexander Lambert told the group as they gathered after school at the coffee shop.

"Well, was it your age, or the fact that the security parts of the business are just being brought together?" Jenny asked, "Some of the companies you've merged weren't the strangest before."

"Well, there's that; though the planning board guys told us that our filling out the paperwork would be the first step, and that once the full background and other checks are made, we should be good for anything coming up after July 1st of this year. So we'll be on government contract lists. Good ideas all-around, and I did get some quotes back on putting together the Battle Trucks."

Willow rolled her eyes, "Can we please call it something that wasn't in a bad 80s sci-fi movie?"

"Um…no," Xander smiled softly, then nodded, "Okay, surveillance vehicle it is. And Selma, if we can, maybe we should consider another 'Bot for each of them, and have them concentrate on general sweeps as often as possible, and including the other nearby towns' likely trouble spots."

"Do you wish me to go beyond budgets, Captain? We've only just broken even after consolidations."

"Hmm, you're right. I guess if we can get the vehicles done this week, we might even start to get some real information before Drusilla shows up."

Buffy nodded, "And with all this business stuff of yours, we've just been back to patrols since February. And I, for one, would like to get more shopping money by hitting a few lairs."

Giles held up a hand, "Buffy, only after some more team practice. We need to see where we need to polish up; avoiding injury should be a primary goal as always."

"Thanks Giles, and are we talking a six-bot backup for me? Or something more SWAT-like?"

"Well, first of all, I think the latter might be the best approach, though if Alexander and Willow have the requisite number…"

"I think we have six exactly, Rupert," Xander responded, "And right now, we're just sending them out as 'couples' to the Bronze and college hang-outs we don't get to, just to keep the number of stray vamps down."

Buffy shook her head in amazement.

"I never would have guessed all this a year ago…"

"Yeah..." Willow smiled, "Buffy working …"

"Hey!"

"…for free coffee and a wage."

"Free coffee!" Buffy responded, and turned to glare at Xander, "Since when?"

Willow smiled, "You mean Xander's been charging you for your coffee?"

"Half-price!"

"Xander!" Willow laughed, and looked to see the young man walk around the counter and pull-out a piggy bank that looked like Mr. Gordo.

"I've matched every charge…" he sniffed, "And minus the triple mocha in a ceramic cup she threw at Larry last month when he said something rude and could have just thrown the acrylic pitcher of ice water instead, there's about five hundred dollars in here."

"Good Lord, Buffy! That's an enormous amount of coffee!"

"Giles, he's matching, so that's like two a day, one on the way to school, and the other when I start my shift. So there, Free Tea Guy."

"That's entirely different. I'm an investor." He smiled in a superior way.

"One percent of everything, Giles. One percent."

"And in lieu of dividends I enjoy my role as Tea Master."

Buffy stared at the Watcher. Then stared at Jenny. Then at Xander.

"I want free a coffee. A big one with lots whipped cream and sprinkles."

"How long until your shift, Buff."

"Half-hour."

"Until work…drink up. But any boyfriends and such still cost full price."

"Yah! Hah, Giles, that makes me Coffee Mistress!" she smiled smugly and headed for the equipment. Jenny smiled.

"Hey Willow, does that mean you'll be lending Buffy that dominatrix outfit you threaten Xander with? Buffy should have a uniform if she's Coffee Mistress."

"Miss Calendar!" Buffy blushed deeply as her Slayer-enhanced healing allowed her to catch the joking remark, "Not you too!"

The woman picked up her calendar, "Of course, it says right here, Pick on Buffy Day."

"Willow…"

"You can borrow the outfit Buffy, but only if we can put your picture in our advertising," Willow replied as though serious. "So I'd suggest a 'dark roast.'"


End file.
